Highlights

Start in Moscow and end in Beijing!
With the train & rail tour The Cossack (Moscow to Beijing), you have a 23 day tour package taking you from Moscow to Beijing and through
Moscow, Russia and 9 other
destinations.
The Cossack (Moscow to Beijing)
is a small group tour that
includes
accommodation in a hostel as well as an expert guide, transport
and more.

Featured on

3 Reviews

I had a great time on the Cossack tour, met a lot of amazing people and got home with memories for a lifetime. Even the journeys on the train were really funny and not too boring. However we had a few unpleasant incidents, such as not being able to enter our rooms after arrival, two guys even had to sleep in the breakfast room for one (short) night. Some of the accommodations were very shabby (awfully dirty, noisy & hot rooms, no hot water, ... even the train was better!) – in Ulaanbaatar we even decided to spend the night in a 4* hotel for a surprisingly good price. I think we should have had better accommodation in some places as the whole trip wasn’t inexpensive. Maybe they could have done this instead of just booking random tours for us that no one wanted to do and only just telling us the evening before. It would be good to keep the whole thing a bit more flexible, but to provide more details about the itinerary because sometimes we didn’t have a clue. I also felt that some of the Honchos were not honest all the time, but the vast majority of them were great fun and very energetic. Overall, I will keep it in mind as a positive experience.

Vodkatrain commented on this review

Hello there,
Although overall you had a positive experience, we are sorry to hear that you had some unpleasant incidents with your accommodation in Ulaanbaatar. We take this type of feedback very seriously so if could please send through your details (booking date and booking name) to enquiries@sundownersoverland.com so that we can investigate, we would most appreciate it.
Thanks
Kat @ Vodkatrain - HQ

Crossing China, Mongolia and Russia on the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Siberian Railway has been an unforgettable experience. We are really happy with our decision to go with Vodka Train. It was all the parts of a tour we like - organised transport and accommodation, without the structured sight-seeing. We definitely got a lot more out of each city and visited more cities and sights than if we were doing it on our own. It would also have been pretty difficult to do on your own as there is very limited English, the train timetables are impossible to understand, and we often crossed multiple time zones in a day. The trains also leave without a bell or warning so it would be easy to miss a train and get stuck in the middle of no where.
The best part about going with Vodka Train was having a local honcho to tell us about the city and show us the best parts. The honchos were similar ages to our group, spoke fluent English and were a lot of fun. We learnt more about the people, culture and life in China, Mongolia and Russia from them than anything we could read in a guide book. It was also a lot more fun to do in a group. We have made some fantastic friends that definitely enhanced our experience, and we look forward to catching up with.
We saw some amazing places. We would never have considered visiting Mongolia but it turned out to be one of our favourite parts of the trip. Staying in a traditional ger, riding horses across the desert, and the beautiful scenery was fantastic. Our guide in Mongolia, Gerlee, definitely made our experience. Moscow was also spectacular, walking into Red Square and seeing St Basil's Cathedral was our favorite experience of the trip. Lake Baikal was magnificent, and seeing the Kazan Kremlin at night was another top experience. We also enjoyed trying different local foods and learning a bit of the languages; we are now pricrasna (perfect) at Russian!
Traveling on the trains, especially for up to 3 days at a time was a very unique adventure. As was not showering, not being able to go to the bathroom for hours at a time, and surviving on instant porridge, noodles and coffee. I have a new found respect for the multitude of uses for a thermos! However we were pleasantly surprised by the standard of the trains. The cabins were comfortable and the train attendants were great. The food cart was also good fun, as was eating food sold by women on the platforms, and drinking wodka with Russians. We would definitely recommend Vodka Train, it is such a unique experience and a fantastic way to see some different and interesting places.

Great tour which fitted in a lot of destinations. Most of the honchos were very friendly and knowledgeable and showed us places of interest, however sometimes their planned itineraries were too inflexible and didn't allow for personal preferences or if you wanted to split up from the group and explore yourself.

What's included

Accommodation

Guide

Transport

Additional Services

Questions & Answers

Here we have collected and answered the most frequently asked questions about this tour.

September 1, 2016

Can you help us with our visas if needed?

Unfortunately we are unable to give visa advice due to the vast number of nationalities which our customers represent. Some nationalities can travel freely over borders, where others require advance permission to enter. There are also changes in requirements from time to time. We recommend checking your local embassy or consulate's website for the latest up to date information.

What are people saying about TourRadar?

Amanda15th May 2018

Booking was really easy! The options were displayed clearly and I was able to filter. I especially liked that they recommended a travel insurer because I've never had to get travel insurance. No hassle experience and now I'm ready for my tour!

Policies

Location

Moscow is the starting point and Beijing is the endpoint.

Trusted

Your money is safe with TourRadar, as we only pay the tour operator after your tour has departed.

Deposit

TourRadar only requires a deposit of 20% to confirm this Vodkatrain booking. The remaining balance is then payable 75 days prior to the departure date. For any tour departing before 7 August 2018 the full payment of
$4,085
is necessary.

Cancellation policy

No additional cancellation fees! You can cancel the tour up to 75 days prior to the departure date and you will not need to pay the full amount of $4085 for The Cossack (Moscow to Beijing), but the deposit of 20% is non-refundable.
If you cancel via TourRadar the standard cancellation policy applies.

Availability

Some departure dates and prices may vary and Vodkatrain will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.

Credit Cards

The following cards are accepted for Vodkatrain tours:
Visa - Master Card
- American Express

TourRadar does not charge any additional cancellation fees. You can cancel the tour up to 75 days prior to the departure date.
If you cancel your booking for The Cossack (Moscow to Beijing) via TourRadar the standard cancellation policy applies.

3 Genuine Reviews

All reviews are verified from travellers who went on The Cossack (Moscow to Beijing)